logo
‘I did what I had to do' – World Darts semi-finalist retires from PDC tour aged just 30

‘I did what I had to do' – World Darts semi-finalist retires from PDC tour aged just 30

Scottish Sun2 days ago

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH has announced he is not returning to darts full-time.
The Belgian, 30, stepped away from the sport in April to focus on his mental health.
1
Dimitri Van den Bergh has announced he is leaving the PDC Tour full-time
Credit: Rex
Van den Bergh is a member of the Belgian squad for this weekend's World Cup Darts in Germany.
Teaming up with Mike De Decker, Belgium began their campaign with a 4-1 group stage win over Latvia.
But following Thursday's victory, The Dreammaker revealed he will not return to the PDC Tour.
Van den Bergh said: "There was so much attention on me. I had talk show requests from Belgium, Germany, England, and Holland.
READ MORE ON DARTS
World Cup of Darts Belgium and Netherlands on later, England's Littler and Humphries wait
"Everyone wanted interviews and I just didn't feel it was the right time to talk.
"I didn't have the right perception of the whole situation. It was all too much at the time.
"I stepped back to take a few steps forward and tonight proves I'm heading in the right direction.
"This is me being back managing my career because full-time professional is just not good for my family."
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
Van den Bergh indicated he will still compete in select events.
He continued: I've got a second kid coming next month.
'Early to be losing your rag' - Commentator blasts darts star as he has MELTDOWN in just second leg
"So me and my manager and my sponsors, we already know what's going to go down.
"It's going to be professional in a different level, but I'm ready for it."
Van den Bergh received his PDC Tour Card in 2015.
The 30-year-old is currently the World No. 22, with his highest ranking No. 5 in 2021.
A World Championship semi-final, Dimi has previously won the UK Open and the World Matchplay, as well as three Players Championship titles.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

World Cup of Darts final: what time is it on
World Cup of Darts final: what time is it on

Scotsman

time2 hours ago

  • Scotsman

World Cup of Darts final: what time is it on

The World Cup of Darts is entering its final day - but how can you watch it at home? 🎯 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The World Cup of Darts will reach a conclusion tonight. Sky is broadcasting the action live from Frankfurt. But what time will the tournament be on TV? The final of the World Cup of Darts is just a few hours away - and fans won't want to miss out. The best players from around the globe have been competing in Frankfurt throughout the weekend. The tournament kick started on Thursday (June 12) and has kept viewers on the edge of their seats ever since. Very soon one country will be lifting the trophy but there is still plenty of action to enjoy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But how can you follow all the action from home this year? Here's all you need to know: What time is the World Cup of Darts final live on TV? The World Cup of Darts is being held in Frankfurt |Sky Sports will be providing coverage throughout the last day of the tournament - up-to-and-including the final tonight (June 15). The broadcaster has been live throughout the whole of the World Cup. Coverage will begin with the quarter-finals in the early afternoon session. Sky will be live from 12pm, while the evening session - which includes the final - is set to begin at 6pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The last day of the World Cup includes the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. How to watch the World Cup of Darts - is it free? Once again Sky Sports is carrying coverage of the tournament - as it had for the Premier League during the first half of 2025. It is being split between Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event. For the last day of the World Cup of Darts, it will be on Sky Sports Action from 12pm and again from 6pm. It will be live on Sky Sports Main Event from 9pm - which will include the final. Now TV subscribers with the sports package will be able to watch it as well. All you need to do is go to the sport tab on the TV or mobile app and find the darts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is not on free-to-watch TV - being behind a paywall in Now TV and Sky Sports. What is the format for the World Cup of Darts final? Both the quarter and semi-finals will be best of 15 legs - meaning the country that gets to eight legs first will win. It is the same length of matches as in the second round. For the final that will be up to being a best of 19 legs. So the country that reaches 10 legs first will take home the grand prize. The winners will take home £80,000 with the runners up getting £50,000. For those who made it to the semi-finals they will go home with £30,000 and quarter finalists pocket £20,000. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad

I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth –Hugh Keevins
I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth –Hugh Keevins

Daily Record

time6 hours ago

  • Daily Record

I see cracks in Celtic with transfer fears over four starters so maybe this Rangers claim is a myth –Hugh Keevins

I have a friend who sits in the rear section of the Copland Road stand at Ibrox. The view he got from there in the season now ended – once he got his seat back after the temporary residency at Hampden caused by a building plan malfunction – was distorted by disaster on the park. ‌ None greater than the Scottish Cup humiliation at the hands of Queen's Park. ‌ That day Rangers recorded what was arguably the worst result in the club's history by losing to the only goal of the game against the Championship side. That embarrassing elimination was among a series of home truths delivered about the state of the team under Philippe Clement's management, eventually resulting in the Belgian's inevitable dismissal. Random disappointments followed while my season-ticket holding friend's team was under the temporary charge of Barry Ferguson. Losing at home to what might be described as lesser opposition continued to be a destructive problem for Rangers in the Premiership. But hope springs eternal in football, so when it came time to renew his season ticket, or reject the offer, my friend didn't buy one. He bought two of them. Even though the cost had gone up from £500 a pop to £600. ‌ Hard-working guy. His disposable income. None of my business. But only in football can a club inflict such misery on their paying customers – then charge them even more than before to come back, on the basis that things might be better in the season that follows. There was a 17-point gap between Rangers and their greatest rivals, Celtic, on the final day of the league season. ‌ It suggests the presence of a gap which will take some time to fill in. But, in reality, is that actually the case? The way Celtic lost the Scottish Cup Final to Aberdeen in May suggested to me that cracks have started to appear in Brendan Rodgers' squad,. ‌ The manager's activity on the transfer front since then has not fully addressed the problem. Only time will tell if the addition of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer from Arsenal – and the awaited loss of Greg Taylor, now out of contract at Celtic Park – will ultimately enhance or reduce the quality of Rodgers' squad. Ross Doohan might have been first pick for Scotland against Liechtenstein on Monday afternoon but he'll be third choice if the keeper completes his move from Pittodrie to the league champions. And Fulham youngster Callum Osmand comes into the category of one for the future and not one from the off once the training compensation fee has been paid for him. ‌ The fixture list for the new season will be out on Friday morning. Then, if you listen carefully, you'll be able to hear the sound of Celtic fans impatiently drumming their fingers while waiting for the bank to be broken on some summer signings. Taylor is, presumably, on the move. Meanwhile, Jota is sadly lost to the game for the foreseeable future due to injury. ‌ And there arequestion marks against the names of players such as Auston Trusty, Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate where their short-term future is concerned. All of this comes before we get round to what becomes of the enigmas Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo as well. Rangers won more points than Celtic in the four Old Firm derbies last season. ‌ There was a time when that fact alone would have guaranteed them a league title win. And those days could return if the newly-upholstered Rangers, financed by the recently-installed 49ers Enterprises, give Russell Martin the kind of financial backing he's going to need to tip the balance of power in Glasgow. If they do, and the manager still fails to remove Celtic from their perch at the top of the table, then he'll be out the door quicker than you can say 'unfit for purpose'. ‌ But these are the days when everyone, on both sides of the divide, gets the benefit of the doubt. A state of affairs which traditionally lasts until game one of the new season is played. After that, you're on your own. And those Celtic and Rangers supporters now paying a significantly higher rate for their season books will reserve the right to exercise an upgraded degree of scrutiny where their team is concerned.

England crash out of World Cup as Littler and Humphries humbled by Germany
England crash out of World Cup as Littler and Humphries humbled by Germany

The Guardian

time14 hours ago

  • The Guardian

England crash out of World Cup as Littler and Humphries humbled by Germany

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries were left reeling as England's hopes of retaining the World Cup of Darts were torn apart by Germany. The world's top two players slipped to an 8-4 second round defeat at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, where Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko made the most of the backing of a partisan home crowd to seal a comprehensive victory. Littler and Humphries, who both received MBEs in King Charles's Birthday Honours, were made to pay for missed doubles with the 18-year-old in particular turning in an off-colour display in a country where he has endured previous disappointments. A delighted Schindler, who had insisted in advance that the English duo were 'beatable', told Sky Sports: 'I was right because we believed in ourselves. 'We have been putting in a solid performance, and obviously the double 16s from Ricardo just went in, so we are very happy to go through. Today was one step and tomorrow is the other. That's it.' Booed by the home crowd, Littler started nervously and the Germans took the first two legs, but his 123 check-out put England on the board before a 64 finish levelled it up at 2-2. However, the teenager missed three darts at a double in the fifth leg to allow Pietreczko to win it with a 106 out-shot, and another in the sixth as the Germans restored their advantage. And after Humphries had hit 25 rather than bull going for 122, they went in at the break 5-2 ahead. Pietreczko took out 101 after the resumption before Germany went 7-2 up and although Littler and Humphries took the next two, they eventually succumbed as a return of just four doubles from the 11 chances they created ultimately proved costly. Germany's reward is a quarter-final tie against Australia, who routed Argentina 8-1 with Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock proving too strong for Jesus Salate and Victor Guillin despite missing 21 of their 29 attempts at doubles. Twice-winners Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton secured Wales' passage with a resounding 8-2 win over the Philippines. The Welsh pair, who claimed the crown in 2020 and 2023, powered their way through to a last eight clash with Hong Kong with the minimum of fuss despite the first three legs going against the darts. However, Scotland's Peter Wright and Gary Anderson found themselves on the wrong end of a demolition job as they went down 8-0 to the Netherlands in just 15 minutes. Danny Noppert and the world youth champion, Gian Van Veen, who took out 130 to claim the fourth leg on Scotland's throw, were in inspired form, averaging 100.2 and converting eight of the 12 darts they had at doubles to breeze through to a meeting with the Czech Republic. William O'Connor and Keane Barry eased the Republic of Ireland to a showdown with neighbours Northern Ireland after an 8-3 victory over Switzerland in which they were always in control. Northern Ireland were comfortable winners over South Africa as Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney eased them to an 8-2 success. Elsewhere, there were wins for the Czechs over Malaysia and Hong Kong against Sweden.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store